Nights of the Week Before
by mangabreadroll
Summary: Neku wasn't the first proxy Joshua picked... Events that happened the week before the events of the game, of the girl Joshua met and his times spent with Mr. H. Feel free to tell me any corrections if anything I wrote contradicts anything in the game.
1. Chapter 1

**NIGHTS OF THE THE WEEK BEFORE**

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own TWEWY and its, just so all of you would know, they are all copyright of Square Enix. Now, I did most of this in a rush and in a not-so-quiet environment, so what I wrote may have strayed a little bit from the original storyline, so I hope you don't mind. The Regina and Morgan in here may be considered OCs since I included them personally in this fanfic but they do not appear in the original game. Thank you.

**THE 1ST NIGHT - ON THE RUN**

I opened the door to find a regular guest on the front porch.

"Let me guess." I scratched my chin. "Ran away from home?"

Joshua didn't answer. He walked straight in and sat down. I closed the door for him. It was raining heavily outside. I knew that for Joshua, he could have just willed the rain to _not_ fall on him. After all, he was the Composer - supreme entity in charge of the Reaper's Game here in Shibuya. But he was completely saoked.

"I couldn;t find one," he spoke, his eyes on the table.

I headed to the back of the room to brew some coffee. I glanced at him from across the room - the fiftenn-year-old boy with the ash blond hair and eyes the shade of lavender. He didn't really look like this - he had another form, his true one, like that of an angel - but taking on this weak form was for the better. No one could recognize him as who he really was.

"No proxy?" I asked.

Joshua shook his head. "Couldn't find a right one."

I walked over to the table. "So you're still on the run from Minamimoto," I said.

He didn;t answer, but I knew I was right. That mad mathematician was after the Composer's position, or so I thought. Along with the Conductor's plan to preserve Shibuya rather than erase it like the Composer wanted, I guess Joshua had been running back and forth between the higher plane and here - two planes, searching.

"Well, there's alwayd tomorrow." I set the cup of strong-smelling coffee in front of him.

Silence at first. Then he took the cup. "Thanks, Mr. H." He drank.

I smiled. "Heh, You're welcome."


	2. Chapter 2

**NIGHTS OF THE THE WEEK BEFORE**

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own TWEWY and its, just so all of you would know, they are all copyright of Square Enix. Now, I did most of this in a rush and in a not-so-quiet environment, so what I wrote may have strayed a little bit from the original storyline, so I hope you don't mind. The Regina and Morgan in here may be considered OCs since I included them personally in this fanfic but they do not appear in the original game. Thank you.

**THE 2ND NIGHT - PROXY**

"Hername's Regina," Joshua told me.

He was definitely in a good mood today. We sat face-toface, me stirring a cup of house blend, listening.

"She seemed good, so..." Joshua's gaze flitted over to the door.

"How'd you get her to do what you wanted?" I asked.

"I pretended to be a Player, of course. Told her everything that'll get her going. Hopefully it'll work out by the end of the week."

I grinned. "How's she look like? Who's her partner?"

I thought I saw Joshua smile a little. "Orange hair that reacjes her shoulders. Wears glasses. She got paired up with a stranger, but I think they warmed up quickly."

"Ah." I took a sip of my drink. "You're unusually bright today. You became quick friends with her too?"

He nodded. From the corner of my eye, I saw him tracing something on the tabletop with his finger - a name, probably.

And smiling slightly.


	3. Chapter 3

**NIGHTS OF THE THE WEEK BEFORE**

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own TWEWY and its, just so all of you would know, they are all copyright of Square Enix. Now, I did most of this in a rush and in a not-so-quiet environment, so what I wrote may have strayed a little bit from the original storyline, so I hope you don't mind. The Regina and Morgan in here may be considered OCs since I included them personally in this fanfic but they do not appear in the original game. Thank you.

**THE 3RD NIGHT - REGINA**

It was eleven at night and Joshua wasn't back yet. I stood at the door, looking out for him. Outside, a cold night wind blew threw the street. The moon was finally unobscured by the clouds after days and days of heavy rain.

_Raining CATs and dogs, _ I thought. I stifled a laugh and thought of this afternoon...

_"Mr. H!"_

_ I looked up from my paperwork and rushed to the door. _Strange_, I thought._ And I thought there weren't much customers today...

_ I found Joshua and two other Players waiting for me. One of them was tall, about my age and wearing a beanie which from underneath, I could make out wisps of golden-brown hair. I recognized the other straight away - the girl with the orange hair and black-rimmed spectacles, wearing a red-and-black T-shirt and denim vest..._

_ "Regina Folkwater," she greeted me warmly. "Joshua thought we'd hang out here for a bit."_

_ "Nice to see you." I shook her hand, and I turned to the man. "And this is...?"_

_ "Morgan," Joshua answered for me. "He prefers to go by his first name only." _

_ "I see," I said, as Morgan waved a hand. "So how's the mission?"_

_ "We're done with it," quipped Regina, sitting down. Joshua sat right next to her while Morgan sat to her opposite. "Just clearing Dogenzaka of some Noise... Plus the time limit was quite long. 80 minutes? We finished it quite quickly, so we've got heaps of time left. Hey, did you hear about the new store..."_

_ As she chatted on and on, I took a seat at the other table next to them, facing Morgan._

_ "Not meaning to pry, but..." I asked him. "How'd she become your partner? Josh told me you were a complete stranger to her."_

_ "No worries." Morgan took off his beanie, revealing a head of messy hair. "I was looking for a partner, and she just offered to become min, on the spote. She's really nice. And smart, too. She could use almost every psych she had."_

_ "Wow, that's rare," I laughed. It was. Players like this - Players who could adapt to using new pins straight away, no matter what kind of psych it was - hardly showed up in the UG. "How'd you die?"_

_ He paused for a while. This was a touchy subject. Then he sighed. "Street fight. Got beat up. But hey, at least it wasn't over a small matter."_

_ I nodded, noticing a couple of scars and bruises on his arms. "So the two of you, you and Regina... You get along well?"_

_ "Uh-huh." He rubbed the back of his head. "But she gets along better with him."_

_ He pointed behind him, where Regina and Joshua were deep in conversation._

_ "...Can't say I do. But people are different. They don't make Shibuya a problem, they make Shibuya _different_," Regina said._

_ "I guess you're right. But what if they all have their own motives, their own worlds, their own problems? That they get so wrapped up in them and they don't acknowledge _your_ point of view, or your presence?" asked Joshua._

_ "So some of them do. But sometimes it takes a little breaking through their walls to bring them out of their troubles. That's what I live by." She smiled._

_ Joshua looked straight at her, smiling too. "Care to explain that?"_

_ "Well..." Regina drummed her fingers against the table. "Most people isolate themselves from the world because they fell better like that when they feel down. If you want to help them you have to talk them out. Do something that'll make them feel better. Make them think that others actually care for them."_

_ "Ah," Joshua said. "So that's why you're so..."_

_ "What?" Regina adjusted her glasses._

_ Silence for a bit. "Friendly."_

_ Regina stared at him, unblinking. Then she laughed, and Joshua laughed too. Morgan and I watched this with great interest. _

_ "I see your point," I commented. "They talk a lot?"_

_ "Yeah. We met him during yesterday's mission, when he helped us out. We were very thankful. Regina, especially," said Morgan._

_ A smile crept on the edge of my face, and I shook my head. "Darn," I remembered all of a sudden. "I forgot to get refrshments."_

_ "Nah, I'm fine without 'em," Morgan told me. "Get some for them, though. You know what? Here's a secret - she likes muffins."_

_ We both laughed, and I went to the back of the room. Minutes later, after some refreshments, they were ready to go._

_ "Mr. H?" Joshua told me, just as he was about to leave. "I'll be with them for a while. Maybe I'll come back late tonight."_

_ "Oh," I said. This was a first, him joining others. "Take care, then."_

_ He turned, but I stopped him. "Seen _him_ lately?" I asked._

_ "What, Minamimoto?" he scoffed. "No. Bet he's hiding somewhere. But I'll take care of him, don't worry."_

_ "Be careful," I stressed._

_ Just then, Regina called. "Joshua! Hurry up!"  
"Coming!" he turned and left without saying goodbye. _

_ I watched them leave, Joshua chasing after Regina. The plan was off to good start; Regina completely trusted him. But Minamimoto's not showing up sounded a bit like bad news. So maybe he was sort of aiding us in our plan. But he might have been up to something, secretly planning... I shook the idea out of my head. Joshua was sharp. He had it all under control. Just a few more days and we'd bring an end to everything. On the other hand, Joshua was already starting to find someone to be friends with, something he hadn't had for a very long time. Things were definitely going to change. _

The clock struck twelve. Joshua wasn't back yet. I guess Joshua was going to spend the night with the others. I decided to close the shop for the day.


	4. Chapter 4

**NIGHTS OF THE THE WEEK BEFORE**

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own TWEWY and its characters, just so all of you would know, they are all copyright of Square Enix. Now, I did most of this in a rush and in a not-so-quiet environment, so what I wrote may have strayed a little bit from the original storyline, so I hope you don't mind. The Regina and Morgan in here may be considered OCs since I included them personally in this fanfic but they do not appear in the original game. Thank you.

**THE 4TH NIGHT - CLOSE SHAVE**

"Precisely. This spot."

I was on the phone, standing in front the mural at the Udagawa district. The area was deserted so far - I had picked the right time to discuss my other plan with a fellow comrade.

"_That _place?" came the irritated voice. "Aw, come on. That place is zetta - "

"I had a change of plan. The other areas were Conductor territory. This area will be closed off for many days this month, and the only day this area is accessible is tomorrow and next Thursday. No one will be around to report you or anything, _Minamimoto_."

A sigh from the other end of the line. "6789786544523. Alright."

"Do you still remember the steps?" I asked.

"Yeah, of course. Drew a diagram, square roots and all. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got another errand to run. QED. Goodbye."

"Whoa there," I interrupted. "Hold it. One more thing - I advise you to watch it with - "

"Geez, old man, I know! Stay away from the Composer. Can't help me, but I'll try. That factoring hectopascal does tempt me sometime, though. But it'll depend on my mood. Gotta go."

He hung up before I could ask him what he was up to the night before. Keeping my phone, I frowned. Sho Minamimoto and I had been secretly working on another plan to change the Composer's mind about erasing Shibuya - an _inverse matrix_, he would call it - and to do so, I had taught him how to create a special kind of Noise, more deadly and ferocious than the rest. Noise that could erase both Players and Reapers on sight. Yes, it was contradicting the plan Joshua and I had discussed from day one, but still we had to protect the city.

I thought of Minamimoto's absence yesterday. If anything happened to Joshua, it's be half my fault as well...

"This way!" cried a voice.

Startled, I slipped into the shadows. I was even more surprised when the Players who came running into Udagawa were no other than Joshua and Regina.

"There!" Regina called to Joshua, and I saw that she was pointing to a stray Noise they had chased into the back streets, one of the Fox Noise. She flipped a pin in her hand, conjuring a gust of wind that blew the Noise into the air. Laughing, Joshua erased it.

"We're done!" gasped Regina in delight. "That was fun, chasing after the 'flying fox'. This week's Game Master is really good with words."

"You don't say," Joshua smiled, standing beside her.

Morgan came running towards them. "Is it gone?" he panted. "Man, that thing nearly took off with my beanie."

"It's taken care of!" Regina exclaimed, holding up her hand. The timer was gone.

Morgan breathed a sigh of relief. "Gosh, that was a long run. All the way from the scramble? My thighs can't take it."

"I thought you were a street fighter, Morgan?" asked Regina, giggling. "Street fighters run a lot, don't they?"

"Whatever," Morgan moaned. "But let's take a break here."

They sat down near the mural and I tried my best to stay hidden. While Morgan was dusting his beanie, Regina turned to Joshua. "Hey, have you heard of this song?" she asked, whipping out a pure white cell phone.

She clicked a button, and the song played. _It's never too late to make the choice, to speak your voice, to face it. It's never too late to cross that road, to step it out, to change it. The world is right is right in your hands, the universe there at your fingertips. It's never too late if your heart is set, to conquer your fears and your life with it._

"Hmm. Maybe I have. But it's rare," Joshua said.

"It is. I found it in my dad's laptop. It sounded nice, so I downloaded it. I just don't really like the part about the gun."

As if on cue, the song played the aforementioned lyrics. _The gun is right in front of me, but I let those bullets fly. Maybe if I had the heart to do it, to stop them I could just try..._

Joshua's face paled for a moment. "What's so wrong about the part with the gun?"

Regina sighed. "Not that I hate it. But... I just feel that it sounds funny, like..." She paused.

"It bothers you?"

Regina looked a little sad. Then she took a shaky breath. "Fine, let me tell you something..."

Just then, my phone rang. _Uh-oh_, I thought. I checked the caller. Sho Minamimoto. I shook my head. What now? I couldn't answer the phone straight away. The others would hear me. But then I saw the fence. Breathing a sigh of relief, I climbed over it.

Later, I was back in the cafe, cleaning up and waiting. I thought back about Regina. She seemed quite outgoing, it wasn't surprising Morgan, who didn't know her at all, could become her partner. I cleared a table of my paperwork from the past few days. Just then, someone knocked on the door.

"Coming!" I called. It was bound to be Joshua. I opened the door.

It _was _Joshua, all right. But injured. His leg was badly scarred, his shoulder bleeding profusely from what looked like a severe bullet wound. There were cuts and tears in his shirt where someone must have slashed at him. Other than that, his face was flushed with perspiration.

Immediately, I jolted and brought him to the back of the room, where I managed to bandage his wounds.

"What happened?" I asked, struggling to find some medical equipment.

He told me Minamimoto had launched a surprise attack on him straight after the mission with Regina and Morgan, after they had left, and that he had no time to evade it. _He picked the right time, all right_, I thought. _When Josh was alone_.

"I managed to block his final blow - deflected it, in fact. Hit him hard. He shouldn't be - Ah!" He winced as I dabbed at a scar with some ointment.

"Hold still," I said, then putting on the final bandage, "I don't think you're in any shape to join them tomorrow."

"...bothering me now," he continued. Had he heard my statement?

"This is serious, Josh," I stressed. "You don't need any distractions. At least try to focus."

I thought he would say _she is NOT a distraction_. But he didn't.

"Stand up," I ordered.

He did as I said, not before crumpling down again.

"There, you see?" I chided. "Take my hand."

I walked him upstairs and entered the spare bedroom there. All the times he'd been here when he was younger, I'd gratefully let himspend the night in there. The walls were plain, the carpet musty. But I knew it was home to him.

I sat him down on the bed. "You are _not_ going anywhere tomorrow. Just for a day, the others won't worry about you. It's for your own good. You hear me?"

He nodded, then lay himself down and turned away from me. I stood there, watching him. So I was a little mad at him for nearly getting himself killed. But deep down, I wished he hadn't gotten himself into his mess. That was the reason for my other plan - to get him out of harm's way. Deep down, I felt for him.

An hour later, thunder boomed and lightning struck outside the cafe. I quickly closed the blinds. The room was silent, save for Joshua's slow breathing. Under the pale moonlight and the light of the occasional lightning flashes, I could make out Joshua's face, peaceful in slumber. Silently hoping that the cuts and wounds would heal quickly, I sat in the corner of the room.

In the dark, I took in the events of the day. From the time I first met him, Joshua had always been alone - at least, until now. But now he had friends, right? Somewhere in me, I felt, well, _happy_ for him.

That moment, Joshua turned slightly beneath the covers.

Then I heard it.

Joshua had muttered something in his sleep. A name.

_Regina._

**Message: **This chapter was actually shorter when I first wrote it. So when I made it longer on the spot, without any arragements, just the basic plot in my head, I took a really long time to get it done. Also, the song in here - I simply thought of it and wrote the lyrics down. Thanks for all your support though~


	5. Chapter 5

**NIGHTS OF THE THE WEEK BEFORE**

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own TWEWY and its characters, just so all of you would know, they are all copyright of Square Enix. Now, I did most of this in a rush and in a not-so-quiet environment, so what I wrote may have strayed a little bit from the original storyline, so I hope you don't mind. The Regina and Morgan in here may be considered OCs since I included them personally in this fanfic but they do not appear in the original game. Thank you.

**THE 5TH NIGHT - FRIEND**

When I found out Joshua had run off earlier this morning, at first, I nearly laughed. This confirmed that even further that he had something for Regina. The name he traced on the tabletop the other day - I was sure it was her name. And the way he acted around her, too...

I looked out the door. Then again, I thought about what I would say to him when he returned for the night. After all, I was also worried that something might happen to him, what with the accident the night before. I _had_ to reprimand him for that.

Another light rain fell in the evening, and I strode off to Udagawa to check on Minamimoto's refinery sigil. I inspected it, checking for any slight mistakes; this had to be perfect. Everything seemd fine - he was really good at following instructions. Still, I was kind of mad at him, too, for not folloeing my _other_ instructions - to leave the Composer alone. Just then, I heard footsteps and retreated into one of the shops.

I considered it a coincidence as Joshua and Regina walked past and stopped in front of the tag mural, my work, no less. I looked on. Regina was holding an umbrella over the two of them.

"This is one of my favourites," she said, nodding towards the mural.

"CAT's great," Joshua agreed.

"It was one of my favourite spots to hang out, mostly on Sundays because I'm busy most of the other times," Regina continued. "I'd come here with my friends, and we'd talk till the sun set."

She giggled, and Joshua looked at her, smiling as well. They held their gaze on each other for a few seconds until Regina gasped.

"Oh, I forgot something. Here." She fished a piece of paper out of her pocket and placed it in Joshua's hand. "I made one for Morgan too. Actually, I make it for all my buddies."

Joshua held the paper up. I couldn't see what was written on it, but I saw that his eyes seemed to shine. "Thanks," he said.

"No problem," Regina returned.

The two of them stared at the mural for a long time. I knew I shouldn't have been watching this private moment, but the image was lovely. No, not the mural. The two teenagers, standing side by side under the rain. A perfect symbol of friendship.

That night, as I was looking for some ingredients to perfect some bouillabaise, Joshua came back. He looked down.

"Don't tell me." I swallowed. "Erased?"

"No," he muttered, sitting down. "In fact, everything's been going according to plan. It's just that..."

I sat down in front of him as he put his hands to his head. "She told me how she died," he said. "I knew there was something about that other girl at the mural. It was her friend - she died protecting her friend. I'I'm afraid..."

"...You're afraid she'll die to save someone else," I finished for him.

Joshua stared at the table, unmoving. "Wait, wasn't this all about just getting the proxy to finish the Game for you?" I asked, looking him straight in the eye. "It's more than that, isn't it?"

Joshua tried to avoid my gaze. I was sure he thought I was going to tell him off for veering off the main path on this plan. "I..."

"It's not the plan you're worrying about," I said. "It's the proxy. The girl."

His gaze flitted over to the tabletop.

I laughed. "Nah, I understand. I'm very certain this'll work," I assured him. Did you find out her entry fee?"

He looked back up at me. "The friend she died protecting."

"There you have it. All the more for her to win the Game."

Joshua remained silent.

"You like her?" I took this chance to ask him. There was no denying it. I had evidence.

I could've sworn he went red. Then he smiled a little. "She's... nice."

"Does she remember _you_ killed her?"

His face fell a little. "Not at all," he replied, but I could read him like an open book.

"You're guilty," I guessed.

"I-I'm not giving her those memories back," he said quickly, getting up. "She doesn't need to know."

He went for the stairs. My eyes followed him across the room.

He walked up the steps, saw me and stopped. "Look," he said. "I just want her to be my friend." With that, he disappeared.


	6. Chapter 6

**NIGHTS OF THE THE WEEK BEFORE**

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own TWEWY and its characters, just so all of you would know, they are all copyright of Square Enix. Now, I did most of this in a rush and in a not-so-quiet environment, so what I wrote may have strayed a little bit from the original storyline, so I hope you don't mind. The Regina and Morgan in here may be considered OCs since I included them personally in this fanfic but they do not appear in the original game. Thank you.

**THE 6TH NIGHT - TOGETHER**

Regina and Morgan paid another visit that afternoon again.

This time, Joshua and Regina were closer than everthan when I saw them the other day. From behind the counter, I realised Joshua hardly smiled or laughed like this, unlike when he was with her. And he had warmed up to his proxy so quickly...

I was certain he had picked the right one. Regina's extrovert-like spirit was bursting with intimate confidence. She was a clear winner - I couldn't imagine her being the flaw in the plan. Still, her willingness to sacrifice for others...

Joshua came back around midnight, which surprised me a little.

"Preparations," he told me, closing the door behind him.

Instead of sitting down, he went upstairs.

"Nervous, eh?" I asked him. I was, too. The big day was coming, the day everything would come to a close.

"I talked to her," he said. "She said she'd do anything to win the Game and bring her friend back. Anything it takes."

"Mmm." I watched him trudge up the steps. "Hey, about her murder..."

He turned to me.

"If you're going to be friends, you _should_ tell her the truth. I mean, what will she say if she finds out? She's bound too, one day. Something will remind her."

He stared at me for a moment, the glimpse of disappointment visible in his eyes. He continued to walk up the stairs.

I stood up abruptly. "Wait, it's not like that - I'm not saying - "

But Joshua didn't come back down. Silently scolding myself for going too far, I shook my head.

Later, I went into Joshua's room to check on him. The covers lay on the floor, and I saw that his wounds had healed. I sat on the edge of the bed, putting an arm on his shoulder.

_Be ready_, I thought. _You'll be fine. _

I brushed my hand against his head lightly, pushing the hair out of his face. I sighed. Just then, I noticed something clasped in his hand. Being careful not to wake him, I took it gently. Finding it to be a piece of paper, I read the neat printing:

_Joshua and Regina_

_Freinds forever =)_

I smiled. I thought about the future - perhaps Joshua would visit her in the RG from time to time. The future... seemed bright. Joshua was deeply asleep. I slipped the paper back into his hand and closed his fingers over it firmly.

With that, I left the room.

**Message: **Okay - it's been a while since the last chapter, so I might have lost some of my 'feeling' from the previous chapters in this one, sorry about that. But it'll slowly improve for the next chapter. ==


	7. Chapter 7

**NIGHTS OF THE THE WEEK BEFORE**

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own TWEWY and its characters, just so all of you would know, they are all copyright of Square Enix. Now, I did most of this in a rush and in a not-so-quiet environment, so what I wrote may have strayed a little bit from the original storyline, so I hope you don't mind. The Regina and Morgan in here may be considered OCs since I included them personally in this fanfic but they do not appear in the original game. Thank you.

**THE 7TH NIGHT - DASHED HOPES AND DREAMS**

It all ended today.

But, unfortunately, not the way we planned.

That morning, Joshua had already taken off. I stood outisde the vafe, looking up at the bright, sunny sky, silently wishing for the plan to come to fruition and Joshua the best of luck.

However, as I waited, it bean to rain again as evening neared. As I ran into the cafe, I continued to hope for the best, for Joshua to come home and bring me the good news... Like a father, waiting for his son.

Eleven at night. The familiar sound of knocking on the door. I took a deep breath and opened the door, full of eagerness... to find Joshua in the rain, like on the first day, drenched and shivering.

My face fell. _No, _ I mouthed, but I held open the door to let him in. But he didn't move. He stood there, and I noticed his eyes were red.

"Joshua..." I began, but I never finished my sentence.

He fell to his knees and the tears started falling down his cheeks. "She's gone," he sobbed. "She's _gone_!"

I knelt down and put my arms round him. The strong wind blew the rain into the cafe, spraying me a little, but I kept him in my embrace. "It's alright. What happened, Josh?"

Joshua clutched the back of my vest, resting his head against my chest - the same gesture he always did many years ago when he was sad. "The Game Master attacked," he cried. "Morgan got erased. Regina... She took the blow for me..."

I nodded. "We knew this would happen."

He held onto me tighter. "I thought I made... a friend. Never got to say goodbye..."

"And the GM?"

"The other Players took him down."

His body was freezing cold, probably from hours in the rain. I patted his back. "You did make a friend. And you're still hers."

"She was different from the rest... I thought I wouldn't be alone anymore. But..."

"It's okay, Josh. I'm very sure that out there, she acknowledges you as her friend. That's why she gave her life for you. Things like this happen. It wasn't your fault, Josh. In the meantime, you still have me."

Joshua shook his head, the tears never seeming to stop. "No... No, no, no..."

The two of us knelt on the cafe floor, me holding the distraught boy as close to me as I ever could. Other than the rain droplets that fell into the cafe, the only thing that dampened my shirt and vest were Joshua's tears - filled with hopelessness and grief - and of course, mine.

After a while, Joshua's tears subsided. I got up a little. His grip on me loosened, but his head remained resting against me.

"You poor boy," I whispered. I lifted him up onto my back and placved his arms around my neck. Slowly, i carried him upstairs.

I noticed his eyes were partially closed when I lay him down on the bed in the spare room.

"You've got a whole month. The plan isn't ruined," I consoled him.

Joshua's eyes stared right through me. "No one can replace her," he whispered.

I could only keep quiet. Sure, he could find another proxy and end the Conductor's actions. But he couldn't fond another proxy to fill the hole the first one made in his heart when she died. This wasn't about the plan anymore.

"Still, it has to go on," I said softly.

Joshua's voice was barely audible. "I know."

I looked down at the Composer. It was hard to imagine him in this condition in his true, god-like appearance. _But the Composer has feelings_, I told myself. _That's what everyone forgets_.

He turned a little towards me and mumbled something.

"...Sleepy..."

I bent over him. "Rest now," I said, like speaking to a child.

Benath my shadow, Joshua gradually closed his eyes.

I knelt down beside the bed and caressed his forehead, which I found to be feverish. His face was wet with rain and tears. Taking a wet cloth, I dabbed at him, removing all traces of that.

Like before, I stroked his hair, smoothing it and pushing it out of his eyes. I knew I had been like a father to him all this while - perhaps even closer to him than his real father was. That moment, I almost wished he were my son. For we had a relationship, a bond stronger than anyone could break. We were inseparable.

I tucked the boy under the covers. Then, after taking a stool to sit on, I held his hand in mine, clasping it tightly. The sleeping boy took no notice. I wanted him to feel better, not to have any worries or nightmares. There I sat, for hours, until his hand was warm.

As I let go, Joshua stirred. "Father..." I heard him say, and I heard him laugh. A small, floating laugh.

I finally felt relieved. I retreated to my corner of the room, watching as the boy slumbered through his pain, wondering how long it would take for him to forgetthis fateful day.

**Message: **There goes one (in my opinion) touching chapter I did in the dark with only one lamp as my guide. Keep the reviews coming, if you can. Thanks~


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